


Mollie

by nocturne-of-forest (annathescavver)



Series: Nocturne does Linktober 2020 [3]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Linktober 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:21:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26883565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annathescavver/pseuds/nocturne-of-forest
Summary: Link meets a horse in the field outside Dueling Peaks. She steals the apples he just picked.
Series: Nocturne does Linktober 2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1952161
Comments: 4
Kudos: 13





	Mollie

The sounds of chatter and work faded as Link walked away from the stable. While the place was nice - really, it was a cozy, welcoming place and the people were kind - he was overwhelmed by the noise and general bustle. He walked towards the trees he saw in the distance, fingers out and feeling the tall blades of grass as they tickled his palms.

A soft smile broke out over his face. He inhaled deeply, smelling fresh grass, open air, and the rainstorm in the distance. This was what he needed. An untamed wilderness that was so peaceful, so quiet except for the gurgle of the river and the rustle of the leafy treetops.

He began to run. After waking only a few days earlier and finding himself deep underground in a half-ruined shrine, he couldn’t get enough of running. He wanted to run everywhere; to feel his lungs burning and his heart racing. He wanted to see everything there was to see.

The river was to his right, water flashing like liquid gold against the sunset. Fish darted in its indigo depths. Rocks damp with spray stood at its edges.

There were mountains on the other bank, tall creations of rock and ice. He’d climb them someday. He’d climb them and look out over the world.

The patch of trees was to his left and he veered into it. Leaping over boulders and climbing up and down trees, he felt alive. It was only when his stomach growled, protesting the meager meal of acorns and mushrooms he had eaten earlier, that he finally stopped.

Link looked around and then his mouth watered at the sight. There, weighing down the branches of a large tree, were dozens of apples. Bright red and seeming to glitter in the light, they would make the perfect dinner.

He wasted no time in scaling the tree. Snatching an apple, he rubbed it against his tattered shirt and bit into it. The sweet flavor seared his tongue and so before he knew it, the apple was gone, core and all. He grabbed another, and then another, sitting on a branch high in the tree and happily eating his fill.

After, he gathered more still. He carried them in his shirt as he dropped out of the tree. There, he sat on a low, flat rock and dug out his Sheikah Slate to store them.

As he sat there working the buttons, he heard something approach from his left. He whirled, apples spilling from his arms and disappearing into the tall grass.

A horse stood there. She stared at him, head tilted to the side as the breeze ruffled her blonde hair. She was covered in motley patches of white and brown, and her eyes were gentle and kind. With a soft nicker, she lowered her head and began to eat the apples.

Link moved to stop her - those were his! - but pulled himself back. There were more apples. Instead, he settled back on the rock and watched her.

She ate peacefully until all but one of the apples were gone. The last one she held carefully between her teeth and she slowly moved closer to drop it in his lap.

Link looked down at it and then back up at her. Now, it wasn’t like she’d just eaten all the other apples he’d spent several minutes picking. That was awfully ornery of her. But he just couldn’t find it in himself to be mad. The mare looked so friendly and he was so lonely.

He grabbed the apple and held it out, offering it back to her. She tossed her head and then took it, eating it in two big bites.

Hesitantly, Link reached out a hand. The mare drew back for a heartbeat, tail twitching nervously, and he pulled back. Keeping his features open, and his stance nonthreatening, he simply held out his fingers so she could come to him.

After a moment, she did so. Her nose was soft and fuzzy, her breath smelling like apples and fresh grass. Moving slowly, Link scratched under her chin and then behind her ears.

The mare moved closer still. She sniffed his ears and hair, exhaling loudly and causing him to laugh. Then she nudged his hands again, as if asking for more scratches.

Soon she was laying down, head in his lap as he ran his fingers through her mane. She closed her eyes, expression content, and seemed to fall asleep. Link stayed completely still, not quite sure how he’d got into that position but happy regardless.

The sun had sunk below the horizon and he so watched the field. Nothing emerged; no stal creatures and no shrieking keese. The night was peaceful. It lulled him to sleep as well, and soon he was slumped over and snoring.

Morning came hours later. The cuccos down at the stable made quite the racket and it left Link staring grumpily in their direction. The sun was barely up. Thin lines of gold and orange filtered through the trees and drew long shadows along the field. He sat up, rubbing his eyes with a wide yawn.

Well, he figured, he probably should get a move on. Hateno was still many miles away.

He stood and stretched. Maybe he could take some more apples for the road. He grabbed more of them, stuffing all but two in his Sheikah Slate and devouring the others. As he walked down towards the road, he tied his new bandana around his head and adjusted the bow on his back. Then he caught sight of the mare grazing in the field.

She looked up and greeted him with an inquiring sound. He patted her neck and told her how he had to get going and that he very much enjoyed her company. He’d be back around, he assured her, but apparently that wasn’t good enough.

The mare butted her head into his chest and nudged his hands. When he laughed, but stepped away, she followed.

She followed him all the way to the road.

Link stopped. He asked if she wanted to go with him. It was going to be a long journey, he warned, and he honestly wasn’t sure what to expect from it. That didn’t dissuade her, and so he placed a hand on her neck and guided her over to the stable.

There, he paid the twenty rupee registration fee (that was all the money he had), and named her Mollie.

**Author's Note:**

> The prompt for this one was "Mount/Ride/Transport." So, I thought I'd write about the time I found my first horse in Breath of the Wild. Mollie is a sweetheart and she deserves all the apples in Hyrule.
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading! Take care of yourselves.


End file.
